Drink mixer



M AXNATHAN S ON ATTORNEYS DRINK MIXER g :rafa

Ni. NATHANSON Filed March 20, 1947 May 16, 195@ Patented May 16,` 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRINK MIXER Max Nathanson, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application March 20, 1947, Serial No. 736,008

4 Claims. (Cl. 259-135) This invention relates to improvements in drink mixers for mixing the ingredients used in the preparation of soit drinks.

A particular object of this invention is to provide a mixing device comprising a motor and impeller assembly eccentrically mounted in a supporting structure so that the impeller assembly will be normally biased away from the supporting structure in its inoperative position.

Another object is to provide a switch resiliently biased to open position and arranged to be engaged and closed against the resistance of the switch biasing means by the motor and impeller assembly when the latter is swung in the switch closing direction.

Another object is to provide a switch including a switch actuating element with means for resiliently biasing said element to a switch opening position whereby said element is arranged in the path of movement of a part of the impeller assembly so as to operate it to its inclined position.

A further object of this invention is to provide cup retaining means adapted to hold the mixing cup against displacement While the mixing device is in operation.

A still further object is to provide means for opening and closing the motor circuit when the switch is in its closed circuit position.

.Other objects and characteristic features of this invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which the single figure is an elevational view of the mixing device embodying my invention.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, lll designates an upright stand having a pair of laterally extending brackets ll. A motor l2 is supported between brackets H to swing about a horizontal axis provided by trunnions I3. A depending impeller assembly i4, comprising an impeller l5 carried by an impeller shaft l5 is secured to motor shaft il by a coupling I 8. An operating arm 59 has its upper end spot welded or otherwise secured to the side wall of motor I2 to extend downwardly from the si-de wall of the motor adjacent the upright stand. A cup supporting bracket 2l! is secured to stand ill to support a mixing cup 2 l.

The stand I D is hollow and is provided with `lead wires 22 having one lead to motor l2 and the other lead to a motor operating switch mechanism 23. The motor and switch mechanism are connected in series to a source of current (not shown) through lead wires 22 by suitable plug Rearward pressure against operating arm 2 members 24 connected to the free ends of lead wires 22.

Trunnions i3 extend through openings provided in brackets Il and are secured in threaded engagement in a motor encircling band 25. The motor I2 is eccentrically supported by said trunnions to assume a tilting position, as shown in dotted line, so that the depending impeller assembly le is normally biased away from stand li! in its inoperative position.

Switch 23 includes an operating element 25 which is biased to open circuit position by resilient biasing means (not shown). This switch operating element is arranged in the path of movement of the eccentrically supported motor and impeller assembly so that it is operated to closed circuit position against the resistance of its biasing means by said assembly when the latter is swung from its tilted to its vertical position. The biasing means of switch 23, acting through switch operating element 26 in the closed circuit condition of the switch, exerts pressure against the motor and impeller assembly to assist in returning said assembly to its normal tilting position.

The operating arm i9 is provided with a cup retaining clip 21 secured thereto by suitable clamping bolts 23. Bolts 28 project through upper and lower slots 29 and 30 provided in the operating arm i3 and are -iastened by nuts 3l which are clampedv against a clip supporting bar 32 disposed on the opposing face of arm i9 to the clip 21. The upper slot 2&1 is of greater elongation than slot 3!) so as to receive a coil spring 33 which is disposed between the upper end of the slot and the bolt in said slot. Thus the cup retaining clip 2l is vertically slidable on arm I9 against a downward pressure exerted by coil spring 33. Cup-supporting bracket 23 is substantially L- shaped and is secured to stand i@ below the margina] extremity of operating arm i9 by screws 34 to provide a supporting arm 35 for the base of cup 2 i. Arm 35 is curved adjacent its outer marginal end to provide a hump 36 adapted to project into the concave undersurface of the base of said cup.

When it is intended to mix a drink, cup 2l is placed against operating arm i9 with the rim of the cup under the hook portion 3l of clip 21 and the impeller assembly I4 inside the cup. I9 causes the motor and impeller assembly to rotate about its pivotal axis into a vertical operable position. This action against the operating arm moves the switch operating element 26 to closed circuit position against the resistance of its biasing means to start the motor and impeller assein'bly. At the same time as arm I9 is pushed rearwardly it is necessary to exert an upward pressure so that the rim of the cup lifts the hook 31 causing the cup retaining clip 21 to slide upwardly on arm I9 against compression of the coil spring 33. In this manner the shoulder of the base of cup 2! is free to pass over the hump 36 of cup supporting arm 35.

The motor and impeller assembly 4are vheld in their vertical position by pressure of the cup against the operating arm I9, the cup being retained by downward pressure of retaining. clip 21 against the compression of coil spring '33 which forces the cup into supporting `:engagement wtih supporting arm 35. With .the cup in its vertical position hump 36 'is projected into the concave undersurface of the cup basefso that the shoulder of the base of the cup is latched between thestand ,mand the hump 3S. In .order to remove the cup it is merely lifted to compress spring -33 and is drawn outwardly and dow-nwardly. This releases the pressure on operating arm I9 :and the biasing means vof switch v23, acting through the switch -operating element 26, exerts pressure Aagainst the motor and impeller assembly to assist in returning said assembly to its Ynormal tilting position. At the same time, the switch is moved to its open vcircuit position.

It has been fou-nd that .operators frequently neglect to 4turn o-i adrink mixing machine when the -drink has been properly mixed. This is 'particularly so during the rush hours when operators Aare -otherwise engaged in serving customers. rWith this in mind the present invention provides a standard type of normally closed thermal time Aswitch which'functions automatically to open the motor circuit after lthe drink mixing device has been :in operation `for a preydetermined length of time and which closes automatically after being 'open for a predetermined period. Thisswitch which is indicated at -38 'ispreferably -mounted in the base 'of stand I0 as shown and is connected -switch 23.

Having thus described what I believe to be the preferred embodiment of this invention, it vwill :be understood that various modifications Virl-ay be resorted to within the scope andispirit of -the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

-1. A 'drinkrm'xing device of the .character ders'crib'ed, vcomprising a vertically 'disposed 'supporting structure, a pair of :laterally extending supporting brackets arranged Vto project from fone sid-e of said vsumiorting 'structure adjacent the upper endthm'eof, a motor .having trunn-ion-s arranged for :eccentric supportof the motor, said motor being adapted to 'swing about the horiszontal 'axis provided by said trun-nions between fsaid supporting brackets to assume a normally -tilted position, an impeller assembly extending downward-ly from a motor shaft .and swingable `Itherewith whereby saidV impeller assembly Awill be normally biased away from the supporting structure, -a motor switch mounted on said .supporting structure, a switch Aactuating element, .means @for resiliently biasing said element to a switch opening position, said element being Yarranged inthe path of movement of the motor vand adapted to 4project themotor Aand impeller assembly `awa-y .from the `supporting structure,

in ser-ies with .5

an operating arm depending from said motor for moving the motor and impeller assembly against the resistance of the switch actuating element biasing means to the switch closing position, a cup retaining clip engageable with the rim of a mixing cup and carried by said operating arm, said clip being adapted to be vertically slidable on said arm, a spring biasing means mounted in said arm and adapted to exert resilient downward pressure on vsaid cup retaining clip against upward pressure applied to the clip, and a cup supporting bracket immovably secured to the :supporting structure for supporting the base of amixing cup, said clip and said cup supporting bracket being arranged to cooperatively retain 'the mixing cup `in clamping engagement and to secure the motor and impeller in the operating 'position when the motor switch is closed.

.2. A drink mixing device of the character described, comprising a supporting base, an upright post mounted on said .base and provided with a pair of spaced laterally extending brackets, a motor, an impeller assembly secured tothe motor shaft to extend downwardly therefrom, said motor being eccentrically .mounted between said brackets to normally provide biasing of the impeller assembly away from said post in van inoperative position and a switch mechanism resiliently biased to open position and arranged to be engaged and closed against the resistance of the switch biasing means by the motor when the motor and impeller assembly are swung k'in the switch closing position, said biased switch mechanism being adapted to project the impeller assembly to its normally biased position.

v3. A mixing device according to claim '2, including a switch actuating element normally resiliently biased to a switch opening position. said element being arranged in the pathof movement of the motor and impeller assembly and adapted to project said im eiler assembly away from the upright post of the supporting struc- .ture to its inoperative position.

4. A mixing device according to claim Y2, ncluding an operating arm depending .from said motor for moving the motor and impellerV assembly against the resistance of the switch l.biasing means to the switch closing position, a cup .retaining clip engagea-ble with the rim of a mixing cup and carried bysaid operating arm, said .clip being adapted to be vertically sldable on said arm against resilient downward pressure, and a cup supporting bracket secured to said 4vupright lpost for supporting the base of a mixing cup, said clip and said cup supporting bracket being `arranged. to cooperatively retain the mixing cup in `clamping engagement when the motor .and

.impeller assembly are in the switch .closing position.

MAX NATHANSON.

REFERENCES CITED 'Ihe following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS `-Flaum Dec. 22, '15936 

